'I would have beat twin sister Chloe if I was healthy!' jokes Judith MacCombe

“The sibling rivalry is always there. No matter what the outcome, we are always proud of each other. She knew I had been sick the past few days. She was proud that I was able to be here and to be able to race alongside her.”

SIBLING RIVALRY: Judith MacCombe, right, and guide Eimear Nicholls of Ireland in action. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Not even the exhaustion of a 750m swim, 20km cycle, 5km run, and a weekend vomiting bug that threatened to torpedo Judith MacCombe’s Paralympic Games could prevent some wry sibling humour at the triathlon finish line.

Judith and her guide, Eimear Nicholls, were eighth across the line in Monday’s PTVI class. Eighth place at her debut Paralympics and yet she wasn’t even the highest place finisher from her own house.